Subsurface imaging system and method for inspecting the condition of a structure

ABSTRACT

In a method and system for inspecting the condition of a structure, the structure is scanned with a three-dimensional (3D) scanner. The 3D scanner includes a sensing system having one of a radar sensing device or an ultrasonic detection device. The sensing system detects 3D information about a subsurface of the structure, and the 3D scanner generates 3D data points based on the information detected by one or more of the radar sensing device and the ultrasonic detection device. A 3D model is constructed from the 3D data and is then analyzed to determine the condition of the subsurface of the structure.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to property inspection methods and systems, andin particular, to property inspection systems and methods for inspectingthe condition of a structure using a subsurface imaging system andmethod.

BACKGROUND

After an accident or loss, property owners typically file claims withtheir insurance companies. In response to these claims, insurance agentsor representatives investigate the claims to determine the extent ofdamage and/or loss, ultimately providing their clients with appropriatecompensation.

Determining and documenting the extent of damage can be risky for theappraiser. For example, in a situation where a structure has experiencedroof damage, appraisers typically climb onto the roof to evaluate thedamage. When climbing onto the roof and maneuvering around the roof forthe inspection, the appraiser runs a risk of injury, especially indifficult weather conditions, where the roof may be slippery because ofrain, snow, and/or ice and winds may be severe.

Even if the appraiser is not injured, the inspection process is timeconsuming and inefficient. Once on the roof, appraisers may take adigital picture of the damaged area. Afterwards, the picture istypically attached to an electronic claim file where it can later beanalyzed by an appraiser to estimate the extent of damage to thestructure. Two-dimensional digital pictures or video of a roof orstructure often provide inadequate detail for a thorough inspection of astructure. Issues like poor image quality resulting from cameramovement, bad lighting or out-of-focus images can make it difficult toestimate the condition of a property based on an image. To address someof these issues, insurance companies may use 3D-scanners to get a moredetailed view of the surface of the roof.

However, both two-dimensional images (2D) and many three-dimensional(3D) surface scans, for example, are unable to capture damage that mayhave occurred beneath the surface of a roof (e.g., damage to lowerlayers of shingles, moisture accumulation, rotting of lower layers). Forexample, a fiberglass mesh layer of a roof that is disposed beneath thesurface of the roof may be damaged by impacts and cause a visible divot.Heat from the sun on the roof, however, often causes such divots toreset, making it appear as though the fiberglass mesh layer was notdamaged. As a result, such damage to subsurface structures often goesundetected during 2D and 3D surface scans, interfering with, if notpreventing, accurate estimates and appraisals of the condition of astructure and/or damage to the structure.

SUMMARY

A system and method of inspecting the condition of a structure isdisclosed. In one example, the method of inspecting a structure includesdeploying one or more three-dimensional (3D) scanners to scan astructure, wherein the one or more 3D scanners are communicativelycoupled to a memory; and detecting 3D information about a subsurface ofthe structure by implementing a sensing device including one or more ofa radar sensing device or an ultrasonic detection device coupled to theone or more 3D scanners. Implementing the sensing device includes:transmitting, via at least one transmitter, pulses to at least one pointof a plurality of points of the subsurface of the structure; receiving,via at least one receiver, one or more reflected signals from at leastone point of a plurality of points of the subsurface of the structure;and determining, via one or more processors, a distance from one of theradar sensing device or the ultrasonic detection device to at least onepoint of the plurality of points of the subsurface of the structurebased on the at least one received reflected signal. The method furthercomprises generating, at the one or more 3D scanners, a plurality of 3Ddata points, wherein at least one point of the plurality of 3D datapoints correspond to at least one point of a plurality of points in thesubsurface of the structure detected by the radar sensor device or theultrasonic detection device during the scan of the structure. The methodstill further comprises causing one or more processors communicativelycoupled to the memory to generate an estimation of the condition of thesubsurface of the structure based on the plurality of 3D data points.

In another example of the present disclosure, a property inspectionsystem for inspecting the condition of a structure comprises one or morethree-dimensional (3D) scanners adapted to scan a surface of thestructure and a sensing device including one or more of a radar sensingdevice or an ultrasonic detection device coupled to the one or more 3Dscanners. Each of the radar sensing device and the ultrasonic detectiondevice has at least one transmitter, at least one receiver, and at leastone processor. In addition, each sensing device is adapted to detect 3Dinformation about a subsurface of the structure by: (1) transmitting,via the at least one transmitter, pulses to at least one point of aplurality of points of the subsurface of the structure; (2) receiving,via at least one receiver, one or more reflected pulses from at leastone point of a plurality of points of the subsurface of the structure;and (3) determining, via at least one processor, a distance from one ormore devices to at least one point of the plurality of points of thesubsurface of the structure based on the at least one received reflectedpulse. Further, the system comprises at least one processor adapted togenerate 3D data points corresponding to the 3D information detected byone or more of the radar sensing device or the ultrasonic sensingdevice, and a memory, communicably coupled to the one or more 3Dscanners, adapted to store 3D data points generated by the one or moreprocessors and the 3D information detected by the radar sensing deviceor the ultrasonic detection device. Still further, the system comprisesa network interface, communicably coupled to the one or more processors,adapted to transmit the 3D data points to a data analysis system forestimating the condition of the subsurface of the structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The Figures described below depict various aspects of the system andmethods disclosed therein. It should be understood that each figuredepicts an example of a particular aspect of the disclosed system andmethods, and that each of the figures is intended to accord with apossible example thereof. Further, wherever possible, the followingdescription refers to the reference numerals included in the followingfigures, in which features depicted in multiple figures are designatedwith consistent reference numerals.

There are shown in the drawings arrangements which are presentlydiscussed, it being understood, however, that the present examples arenot limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a property inspection system accordingto one example of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the property inspection system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a block diagram of an ultrasonic detection device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3B is a block diagram of a radar sensing device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a 3D scanner and an ultrasonicdetection device according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the 3D scanner and the ultrasonicdetection device of FIG. 4A, along with a subsurface of the structure,taken along the line A-A of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of the 3D scanner and the ultrasonicdetection device of FIG. 4A, along with a subsurface of the structure,taken along the line A-A of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a 3D scanner and an ultrasonicdetection device according to another aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the 3D scanner and the ultrasonicdetection device of FIG. 5A, along with a subsurface of the structure,taken along the line B-B of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view of the 3D scanner and the ultrasonicdetection device of FIG. 5A, along with a subsurface of the structure,taken along the line B-B of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a 3D scanner and a radar sensing deviceaccording to another aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the 3D scanner and the radarsensing device of FIG. 6A, along with a subsurface of the structure,taken along the line C-C of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view of the 3D scanner and the radarsensing device of FIG. 6A, along with a subsurface of the structure,taken along the line C-C of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7 is an exemplary flow chart depicting a method of one aspect ofthe present disclosure; and

FIG. 8 is another exemplary flow chart depicting a method of anotheraspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Generally, a system and method for inspecting the condition of aphysical structure is disclosed. The system includes one or morethree-dimensional (3D) scanners adapted to scan a surface of thestructure and a sensing device comprising one or more of a radar sensingdevice or an ultrasonic detection device coupled to the one or more 3Dscanners. Each of the radar sensing device and the ultrasonic detectiondevice comprises at least one transmitter, at least one receiver, and atleast one processor. In addition, each sensing device is adapted todetect 3D information about a subsurface of the structure by: (1)transmitting, via the at least one transmitter, pulses to at least onepoint of a plurality of points of the subsurface of the structure; (2)receiving, via at least one receiver, one or more reflected pulses fromat least one point of a plurality of points of the subsurface of thestructure; and (3) determining, via at least one processor, a distancefrom one or more of the devices to at least one point of the pluralityof points of the subsurface of the structure based on the at least onereceived reflected pulse. The system further includes at least oneprocessor adapted to generate 3D data points corresponding to the 3Dinformation detected by the radar sensing device or the ultrasonicsensing device. A memory, communicably coupled to the one or more 3Dscanners, is adapted to store 3D data points generated by the one ormore processors and the 3D information detected by the radar sensingdevice or the ultrasonic detection device.

More specifically, and referring now to FIG. 1, a property inspectionsystem 10 of the present disclosure is depicted. The property inspectionsystem 10 includes at least one 3D scanner 12 having a base 14, anantenna 13, and at least one sensing system 18 coupled to the base 14 ofthe 3D scanner 12. The sensing system 18 may include an ultrasonicdetection device or a radar sensing device. The 3D scanner 12 may bedisposed above a structure 16, in particular a fixed distance, such asthree feet, above a plurality of points 15 of a surface 17 of thestructure 16, such as a roof, to inspect the condition of the structure16, for example. In another example, as explained in more detail below,the 3D scanner is disposed on the surface 17 of the structure to inspectthe condition of the structure 16.

As further depicted in FIG. 1, the 3D contact scanner 12 may be affixedto a flying device 20, such as a balloon, which may be used to positionthe 3D scanner 12 onto or just above the surface 17 of the structure 16,e.g., the roof of the structure 16. While the flying device 20 depictedin FIG. 1 is a balloon, the flying device 20 may alternatively be anairplane, a helicopter, a projectile, a rocket, or any other devicecapable of flight, levitation or gliding. In yet another example, the 3Dscanner 12 may also be affixed to a remotely controlled device, such asa radio controlled device; a device that rolls, drives, crawls orclimbs; a mechanical apparatus affixed to or near the structure; or asatellite. In addition, the 3D scanner 12 may be held and operated by aperson (not shown).

As also depicted in FIG. 1, the 3D scanner may be tethered via a tetherline 22 to a base station 28 of a data analysis system 26. In someexamples, the tether 22 may provide power to the flying device 20. Thetether 22 may also provide a communication channel between the flyingdevice 20 and the base station 22 (and may replace antennas in certainexamples).

The property inspection system 10 may further include a data analysissystem 26. The data analysis system 26 may include a base station 28,display 29, and an antenna 30, which may be in communication with theantenna 13 of the 3D scanner 12, as explained more below. Alternatively,the data analysis system 26 of the property inspection system 10 may bein communication with the 3D scanner 12 via a network 32, such as awireless network. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate,the network 32 may be a single network, or may include multiple networksof one or more types (e.g., a public switched telephone network (PSTN),a cellular telephone network, a wireless local area network (WLAN), theInternet, etc.). In some examples, the network 32 may include one ormore devices such as computers, servers, routers, modems, switches,hubs, or any other networking equipment.

In addition, while the structure 16 depicted in FIG. 1 is a building,which may be residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural,educational, or of any other nature, the structure 16 may be any type ofconstruction or object and still fall within the scope of the presentdisclosure. For example, the structure 16 may alternatively be personalproperty, such as a vehicle, boat, aircraft, or furniture.

The property inspection system 10 may be utilized in a number ofsituations, but in the preferred example, a user associated with aninsurance company utilizes the property inspection system 10 for thepurpose of inspecting the condition of the subsurface of the structure.In another example, the property inspection system 10 is additionallyused for the purpose of estimating the condition of a subsurface of thestructure 16 based on the information detected about the subsurface ofthe structure during the inspection. For example, an insurancepolicy-holder may file a claim because the policy-holder believes thatthe structure 16 is damaged. A user (e.g., an insurance company or claimadjuster) may then deploy the property inspection system 10 to inspectthe structure 16 and estimate the condition of the structure 16. Forexample, the property inspection system 10 may determine that the roofof the structure 16 is damaged and then calculate how much it will costto fix the roof.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a block diagram of the property inspectionsystem 10 of FIG. 1 is depicted. More specifically, the propertyinspection system 10 includes the 3D scanner 12 that is communicablycoupled to the data analysis system 26 via the network 32.Alternatively, and as noted, the 3D scanner 12 may be coupled to thedata analysis system 26 via a direct wired connection. The 3D scanner 12is communicably coupled to the sensing system 18 that includes one ormore of a radar sensing device 36 and an ultrasonic detection device 38,each of which is coupled to the 3D scanner 12. More specifically, theradar sensing device 36 and the ultrasonic detection device 38 may be apart of the 3D scanner 12 or a stand-alone device that is communicablycoupled to the 3D scanner 12.

As further depicted in FIG. 2, in one example, the 3D scanner 12 furtherincludes a user input interface 40, at least one processor 42, a memorycoupled to the processor 44, a network interface 46, a data collectionmodule 48, and a data analysis module 49. In a similar manner, the dataanalysis system 26 also includes a user input interface 50, a processor52, a memory 54, network interface 56, a data collection module 58 and adata analysis module 59.

In certain examples, the memory 44 of the 3D scanner 12 and the memory54 of the data analysis system 26 may include volatile and/ornon-volatile memory and may be removable or non-removable memory. Forexample, the memory 44, 54 may include computer storage media in theform of random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), EEPROM,FLASH memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks(DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape,magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any othermedium which can be used to store the desired information. In addition,the network interface 46, 56 may include an antenna, a port for wiredconnection, or both.

In one example operation of the property inspection system 10, the datacollection module 48 of the 3D scanner 12 generates data representinginformation detected by one or more of the radar sensing device 36 orthe ultrasonic detection device 38. The data collection module 48 maythen transmit the generated data over the network 32 to the dataanalysis module 59 of the data analysis system 26. The data analysismodule 59 may then estimate a condition of the structure by analyzingthe generated data. Alternatively, the data collection module 48 maytransmit the generated data to the data analysis system 49 of the 3Dscanner 12, and the data analysis system 49 may then estimate thecondition of the structure 16 by analyzing the generated data.

In some examples, estimating the condition of the structure may includecomparing the generated data to reference data stored in one or more ofthe memory 44 of the 3D scanner 12 or the memory 54 of the data analysissystem 26. The reference data may be any type of data that can provide apoint of comparison for estimating the condition of the structure 16.For example, the reference data of the memory 44, 54 may representand/or include an image, a model, or any previously collected orgenerated data relating to the same or a similar structure or images ormodel unrelated to the scanned structure. Further, either data analysismodule 49, 59 may use the estimate of the condition of the structure 16to determine that the structure 16 is damaged, and then may calculate anestimated cost based on the extent of the damage to the structure 16.

More specifically, and in one example operation of the 3D scanner 12,the network interface 46 of the 3D scanner 12 may receive data, such asa signal representing a command to collect information about thestructure 16. The network interface 46 then transmits the command to theprocessor 42 of the 3D scanner 12. The processor 42 then transmits asignal instructing the 3D scanner 12 to detect 3D characteristicsassociated with an object, a surface or a subsurface of the structure16. The 3D scanner 12, along with one or more of the radar sensingdevice 36 or the ultrasonic detection device 38, detects the subsurfaceof the structure 16 and generates data representing 3D characteristicsabout the subsurface and/or surface of the structure 16 corresponding tothe collected 3D information.

Referring now to FIG. 3A, a block diagram of the ultrasonic detectiondevice 38 of the sensing system 18 of FIG. 2 is depicted. As depicted inFIG. 3A, the ultrasonic detection device 38 includes a user inputinterface 60, a processor 62, a transducer 65, and a network interface66. The transducer 65 includes a transmitter 67 for sending ortransmitting pulses, such as sound waves, and a receiver 69 forreceiving the pulses, such as the sound waves. More specifically, highfrequency, e.g., 1 to 5 megahertz, sound pulses, such as sound waves,are transmitted onto the surface 17 of the structure 16 and into asubsurface 19 (FIG. 4B) of the structure 16 to inspect the condition ofthe structure 16.

In one example, the transducer 65 includes a probe having thetransmitter 67 and the receiver 69. The transducer 65 may take the formof various shapes and sizes, and the shape of the transducer probe, forexample, determines its field of view. The frequency of emitted pulses,such as sound waves, determines how deep the sound waves penetrate astructure or object and the resolution of an image ultimately generatedfrom the same. The transducer 65 makes the sound waves and receives thereflected sound waves, also referred to as echoes, through the receiver69, for example. Typically, the transducer 65 generates and receivessound waves using a principle called the piezoelectric (pressureelectricity) effect, as one of ordinary skill in the art willunderstand.

More generally, a command to operate the ultrasonic detection device 38at a desired frequency may be inputted into the network interface 66 ofthe ultrasonic detection device 38. The processor 62 will receive thecommand and instruct the transducer 65 to generate sound waves at thedesired frequency. The reflected sound waves received by the receiver 69of the transducer 65 may be stored in the memory 64 of the ultrasonicdetection device 38 and accessed at a later time. Alternatively, thereflected sound waves received by the receiver 69 may be transmitted tothe processor 62 that calculates the distance from the transducer 65 toa layer of the subsurface 19 of the structure 16 using the speed ofsound in the structure and a time of each reflected sound wave's return,e.g., usually in the order of millionths of a second. Such calculationsmay then be saved to the memory 64 or transmitted over the networkinterface 66 of the ultrasonic detection device 38 to the data analysissystem 26 (FIG. 1) and displayed on the display 29, in one example, andas explained in more detail below.

Referring now to FIG. 3B, a block diagram of the radar sensing device 36of the sensing system 18 of FIG. 2 is depicted. Like the ultrasonicdetection device 38, the radar sensing device 36 also includes a userinput interface 70, a processor 72, a memory 74, a radar antenna 75, anetwork interface 76, a transmitter 77, a timer 78, and a receiver 79.The radar sensing device 36 uses a pulse or wave that may be transmittedfrom the transmitter 77, such as the radar antenna 75 to probe thesubsurface 19 (FIG. 1) of the structure 16. The transmitted pulses orwaves may be a high-frequency, e.g., 40 to 1500 MHz, electromagneticpulse or wave or may also be a sound pulse or wave. The transmittedpulses or waves are reflected from various interfaces and layers in thesubsurface 19, such that reflected waves are detected and received bythe receiver 79. Reflecting interfaces may include water, a human-madeobject disposed in the subsurface of the structure, and/or a layer ofthe roof, as explained in more detail below, or any other surface havingdifferent properties. In one example, the received waves, such asreturned waves or echoes, are processed by the processor 72, sent to thedata analysis system 26 through the network interface 76, and displayedon the display 29 (FIG. 1) of the data analysis system 26. In anotherexample, the received waves may be processed by the processor 72 andstored in the memory 74 to be accessed at a later time to evaluate thecondition of the structure 16.

Referring now to FIG. 4A, a 3D scanner 112 having an ultrasonicdetection device 138 coupled thereto is depicted in contact with a topsurface 17 of the structure 16 (FIG. 1). The 3D scanner includes a base114, an antenna 113, a sensing system 118, the ultrasonic detectiondevice 138, at least one transducer 165 and a spraying mechanism 180coupled to a front portion of the base 114 of the 3D scanner 112. Thespraying mechanism 180 operates to apply a sound conducting material182, such as a jelly-like sound conducting material, to a plurality ofpoints 15 on the surface 17 of the structure 16 before or during thescan by the 3D scanner 112. The at least one transducer 165 may beadapted to contact the sound conducting material 182 to detect 3Dinformation about the subsurface 19. For example, the sound conductingmaterial 182 may be used to improve the transmission of the sound wavesfrom the at least one transducer 165 to the subsurface 19. The 3Dscanner 112 also includes a suction device 184 that is coupled to a backportion of the base 114. The suction device 184 operates to collect thesound conducting material 182 from a plurality of points on the surface17 after or during the scan by the 3D scanner 112. As one of ordinaryskill in the art will appreciate, the suction device 184 may include avacuum having a motor (not shown) and alternatively be coupled to a sideportion of the base 114 without departing from the scope of thedisclosure. In addition, while the suction device 184 depicted in FIG.4A is rectangular in shape, the suction device 184 may alternativelyinclude any other shape or combination of shapes, such as a square, asphere, and a triangle, and also still fall within the scope of thepresent disclosure.

In one example operation, as the 3D scanner 112 moves across the topsurface 17 of the structure 16 to affect a scan, the spraying mechanism180 may first apply the sound conducting material 182 to a plurality ofpoints 15 on the surface 17. This may occur before or while the sensingsystem 118 moves in one direction, such as to the left of the 3D scanner112 in the orientation of FIG. 4A, and arrives at the same area of thesurface 17 to perform a scan. As the 3D scanner 112 leaves an area ofthe surface 17 after performing a scan, the suction device 184 may thenpass over the sound conducting material 182 on the plurality of points15 on the surface 17 to remove any remaining sound conducting material182. The suction device 184 may also include a filtration device (notshown) that is adapted to remove debris, such as rocks, dirt and leavesthat may be suspended in the sound conducting material 182 after thesound conducting material 182 is removed the surface 17 of the structure16. The sound conducting material 182 may then be reused or recycled.

Referring now to FIG. 4B, a cross-section of subsurface 19 and a sideview of the 3D scanner 112 along line A-A of FIG. 4A is depicted. Thesubsurface 19 may include a shingle layer 184, a tar layer 186 and afiberglass layer 188, as well as other lower layers. Also depicted is afirst plurality of points 185 disposed below the surface 17 of thestructure or within the subsurface 19 of the structure 16. The firstplurality of points 185 includes at least one point P1 and correspondsto a region between the shingle layer 184 and the tar layer 186. Thesubsurface 19 further includes a second plurality of points 187, whichincludes at least one point P2 and corresponds to a region between thetar layer 186 and the fiberglass layer 188. The subsurface 19 stillfurther includes a third plurality of points 189, which includes atleast one point P3 and corresponds to a region between the fiberglasslayer 188 and lower layers.

As further depicted in FIG. 4B, the at least one transducer 65 (FIG. 4A)of the at least one ultrasonic detection device 138 is positioned on aportion of the sound conducting material 182, such that the at least onetransducer 165 physically contacts the sound conducting material 182 incontact with the surface 17 of the structure 16. The at least onetransducer 165 transmits at least one sound wave to the at least onepoint P1, P2, and/or P3 of the one or more of the first, second, andthird plurality of points 185, 187, 189 of the subsurface 19 of thestructure 16. The at least one transducer 165 then receives one or morereflected sound waves R1, R2, and/or R3 from at least one point P1, P2,and/or P3 of the one or more of the first, second, and/or thirdplurality of points 185, 187, 189 of the subsurface 19 of the structure16.

As further depicted in FIG. 4B, the 3D scanner 112 may identify, via oneor more processors 62 of the ultrasonic detection device 138, forexample, a time T1, T2, and/or T3 corresponding to at least one of thereflected sound waves R1, R2 and/or R3 received by the transducer 165.More specifically, the times T1, T2, and T3 correspond to times fromwhen the at least one sound wave is transmitted by the one or moretransducers 165 to the at least one point P1, P2, P3 of the plurality ofpoints 185, 187, 189 until the at least one reflected sound wave R1, R2,R3 is received by the at least one transducer 165. The received soundwaves R1, R2, R3 may then be processed by the at least one processor 62in the 3D scanner 112, such as the processor 42, and sent to the dataanalysis system 26 (FIG. 2). The data analysis system 26 may thenidentify, via one or more processors 52, at least one reflected soundwave R1, R2 and/or R3 that corresponds to the at least one layer 184,186, 188 of the subsurface 19.

For example, the reflected wave R1 may correspond to a bottom of theshingle layer 184 and the reflected waves R2 and R3 may correspond to abottom of the tar layer 186 and fiberglass layer 188, respectively. Asone of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, several reflectedsound waves are possible from the same transmitted wave, depending onthe frequency of the sound wave and the acoustic characteristics of thelayers of the subsurface 19. Also, reflected waves used by the 3Dscanner 112 may come either from the same transmitted sound wave orseparate transmitted sound waves. These separate sound waves may becalibrated to go deeper into the subsurface 19, for example, byadjusting the frequency to allow the ultrasound pulse to travel deeperinto the subsurface 19 and into layers lower than the fiberglass layer188.

In one example, when effecting a scan, the transducer 165 of the 3Dscanner 112 may transmit one or more ultrasonic sound waves and measurethe time it takes for at least a portion of the transmitted sound waveto reflect off of at least one point of a plurality of points thatcorrespond to at least part of one or more layers of the subsurface 19.The 3D scanner 112 may also generate a plurality of 3D points based onthe received one or more reflected sound waves.

In addition, the 3D scanner 112 may calculate a number and thickness ofthe layers in subsurface 19. In one example, the number of layers may becalculated by causing one or more processors 42, 62 to add up the totalnumber of reflected sound waves received that correspond to one or moreseparate layers 184, 186, 188 of the subsurface 19. In another example,one or more processors 42, 62 may calculate a thickness of one or moreof the layers 184, 186, 188 by converting the time between reflectedsound waves that corresponds to one or more separate layers 184, 186,188 of the subsurface 19 into distances traveled by the reflected soundwaves using the speed of the sound waves in the medium. This distancemay correspond to the thickness of one or more layers 184, 186, 188 ofthe subsurface 19.

In one example, to calculate the thickness of the tar layer 186, the 3Dscanner 112 may send the data corresponding to reflected sound waves R1,R2 and R3 to the data analysis system 26. The data analysis system 26may then cause one or more processors 42, 62 to calculate a differencein arrival times T1 and T2, of reflected waves R1 and R2, respectively.This difference may then be converted into a distance traveled by thereflected sound wave to get a thickness of the tar layer 186. Similarly,the thickness of the fiberglass layer 188 may be determined by causingone or more processors 42, 62 to calculate the difference in arrivaltimes T2 and T3 and convert the calculated difference into a distancetraveled by the reflected sound wave.

In another example, the transducer 165 of the 3D scanner 112 maytransmit one or more ultrasonic sound waves and identify a frequencydistribution of at least one received sound wave R1, R2, R3 and afrequency distribution of the at least one transmitted sound wave. Asone of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, the frequencydistribution of a waveform may be identified by causing at least oneprocessor 42, 62 to calculate the frequency distribution based on atleast one recording of the waveform.

The one or more processors 42, 62 may also compare the frequencydistribution of the at least one received sound wave R1, R2, R3 with thefrequency distribution of the at least one transmitted sound wave andestimate a moisture level in one or more layers 184, 186, and 188. Forexample, the one or more processors 42, 62 may calculate a differencebetween the frequency distribution of the at least one received soundwave R1, R2, R3 and the frequency distribution of the at least onetransmitted sound wave to determine if any moisture is present in one ormore layers 184, 186, 188. The determined presence and/or level ofmoisture may then be used to estimate a condition of the structure 16.

More specifically, and in yet another example, a difference between thefrequency distribution of the one or more transmitted sound waves andthe one or more received sound waves R1, R2, R3 may be used to calculatea phase velocity of one or more of the received sound waves R1, R2, R3.This data can be used to indicate the moisture content within one ofmore of the shingle layer 184, the tar layer 186 or the fiberglass layer188, for example. In another example, a difference between the frequencydistribution of the one or more transmitted sound waves and the one ormore received sound waves R1, R2, R3 may be used to calculate anattenuation within one or more of the shingle layer 184, the tar layer186 or the fiberglass layer 188 that correspond to the one or morereceived sound waves R1, R2, R3. Changes in the calculated attenuationmay indicate changes in moisture within one or more of the shingle, tarand fiberglass layers 184, 186, 188.

Referring now to FIG. 4C, another cross-section of subsurface 19 and aside view of the 3D scanner 112 along line A-A of FIG. 4A is depicted.As in FIG. 4B, the tar layer 186 includes another plurality of points183, such as a fourth plurality of points 186 in the subsurface 19 ofthe structure 16, that includes another point P4. In certain examples,the plurality of points 183 may correspond to a defected or damaged areain at least one layer 184, 186, 188 of the subsurface 19, such as thetar layer 186. The defect or damage may include one or more of crackedshingles, damaged fiberglass mesh, moisture accumulation or structuralweakness.

As further depicted in FIG. 4C, the 3D scanner 112 may identify, via oneor more processors 62 of the ultrasonic detection device 138, forexample, a time T4 corresponding to the reflected sound wave R4 receivedby the transducer 165. More specifically, the time T4 corresponds to thetime from when the at least one sound wave is transmitted by the one ormore transducers 165 to the at least one point P4 of the plurality ofpoints 183 until the at least one reflected sound wave R4 is received bythe at least one transducer 165. The received sound wave R4 may then beprocessed by the at least one processor 62 in the 3D scanner 112, suchas the processor 42, and sent to the data analysis system 26 (FIG. 2).The data analysis system 26 may then identify, via one or moreprocessors 52, at least one reflected sound wave R4 that corresponds toat least one defected or damaged area in at least one layer 184, 186,188 of the subsurface 19.

In one example operation, the plurality of points 183 may correspond toa section of moisture in the tar layer 186. As the 3D scanner 112 passesover the section of moisture, the ultrasonic sound wave R4 may reflectoff of a point P4 in the section of moisture and arrive back at the oneor more transducers 165. The depth of the section of moisture may bedetermined by converting the time it took for the pulse to return into adistance. The particular layer that contains the plurality of points mayalso be identified. For example, if the 3D scanner 112 has alreadydetermined the thickness and number of layers in the area surrounding anidentified defect or damaged area, the 3D scanner 112 may determinewhich layer contains the defect or damaged area by comparing the depthof the area with the known depth and thickness of the layers.

Referring now to FIG. 5A, a 3D scanner 212 having an ultrasonicdetection device 238 coupled thereto is depicted in contact with a topsurface 17 of the structure 16 (FIG. 1). The 3D scanner includes a base214, an antenna 213, a sensing system 218, the ultrasonic detectiondevice 238, at least one transducer 265 and a continuous track system290 coupled to the sides of the base 214 of the 3D scanner 212. Thecontinuous track system 290 exists between the surface 17 of thestructure 16 and the at least one transducer 265. The at least onetransducer 265 slides over the continuous track system 290 as thecontinuous track system 290 stays stationary while underneath the 3Dscanner 212. The continuous track system 290 may operate to propel the3D scanner 212 along the surface 17 of the structure 16 and may alsoinclude a solid, sound conducting material. In this depiction, asubstrate layer 292 sits between the at least one transducer 265 and thecontinuous track system 290. This substrate layer 292 may be ajelly-like sound conducting material and may also function as alubricant between the at least one transducer 265 and the continuoustrack system 290. In addition, while depicted in FIG. 5A, the substratelayer 292 may not be required, and a continuous track system 290 thatdoes not include the substrate layer 292 would still fall within thescope of the present disclosure.

In one example operation, as the 3D scanner 212 is moved across the topsurface 17, the continuous track system 290 may rotate around the 3Dscanner 212 such that, once the continuous track system 290 has come incontact with the surface 17, it will stay in contact with the sameportion of the surface 17 until lifted off by the rotation. For example,as the 3D scanner 212 moves to the left as oriented in FIG. 5A, thecontinuous track system 290 would rotate counter clockwise relative tothe 3D scanner 212. In this depiction, the continuous track system 290is shown as two separate tracks on opposite sides of the 3D scanner 212.The continuous track system 290 may also surround the entire 3D scanner212, or may only be in the middle of the 3D scanner 212 withoutdeparting from the scope of this disclosure. It is also not necessarythat the continuous track system 290 itself propel the 3D scanner 212over the surface 17 of the structure 16. As one of ordinary skill in theart will appreciate, the continuous track system 290 may also rotatepassively as the 3D scanner 212 is propelled over the surface 17 byanother system, such as wheels sitting under the base 214 or otherpropulsion systems. As one of ordinary skill in the art will furtherappreciate, the propulsion systems and/or types of locomotion mayadditionally or alternatively include a system having one or more ofwheels, a snake, a walker, or a caterpillar and still fall within thescope of the present disclosure.

Referring now to FIG. 5B, a cross-section of subsurface 19 and a sideview of the 3D scanner 212 along line B-B of FIG. 5A is depicted. Thesubsurface 19 includes a shingle layer 284, a tar layer 286 and afiberglass layer 288, as well as other lower layers. Also depicted is afirst plurality of points 285 disposed below the surface 17 of thestructure or within the subsurface 19 of the structure 16. The pluralityof points 285 includes at least one point P5 and corresponds to a regionbetween the shingle layer 284 and the tar layer 286. The subsurface 19further includes a second plurality of points 287, which includes atleast one point P6 and corresponds to a region between the tar layer 286and the fiberglass layer 288. The surface 19 still further includes athird plurality of points 289, which includes at least one point P7 andcorresponds to a region between the fiberglass layer 288 and lowerlayers.

As further depicted in FIG. 5B, the at least one transducer 265transmits at least one sound wave to the at least one point P5, P6,and/or P7 of one or more of the first, second, and third plurality ofpoints 285, 287, 289 of the subsurface 19 of the structure 16. The atleast one transducer 265 then receives one or more reflected sound wavesR5, R6, and/or R7 from at least one point P5, P6, and/or P7 of the oneor more of the first, second, and/or third plurality of points 285, 287,289 of the subsurface 19 of the structure 16.

As further depicted in FIG. 5B, the 3D scanner 212 may identify, via oneor more processors 62 of the ultrasonic detection device 238, forexample, a time T5, T6, and/or T7 corresponding to at least one of thereflected sound waves R5, R6 and/or R7 received by the transducer 265.More specifically, the times T5, T6, and T7 correspond to times fromwhen the at least one sound wave is transmitted by the one or moretransducers 265 to the at least one point P5, P6, P7 of the plurality ofpoints 285, 287, 289 until the at least one reflected sound wave R5, R6,R7 is received by the at least one transducer 265. The received soundwaves R5, R6, R7 may then be processed by the at least one processor 62in the 3D scanner 212, such as the processor 42, and sent to the dataanalysis system 26 (FIG. 2). The data analysis system 26 may thenidentify, via one or more processors 52, at least one reflected soundwave R5, R6 and/or R7 that corresponds to at least one layer 284, 286,288 of the subsurface 19.

For example, the reflected wave R5 may correspond to a bottom of shinglelayer 284 and the reflected waves R6 and R7 may correspond to a bottomof the tar layer 286 and fiberglass layer 288, respectively. As one ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate, several reflected sound wavesare possible from the same transmitted wave, depending on the frequencyof the sound wave and the acoustic characteristics of the layers of thesubsurface 19. Also, reflected waves used by the 3D scanner 212 may comeeither from the same transmitted sound wave or separate transmittedsound waves. These separate sound waves may be calibrated to go deeperinto the subsurface 19, for example, by adjusting the frequency to allowthe ultrasound pulse to travel deeper into the subsurface 19 and intolayers lower than the fiberglass layer 288.

In one example, when effecting a scan, the transducer 265 of the 3Dscanner 212 may transmit one or more ultrasonic sound waves and measurethe time it takes for at least a portion of the transmitted sound waveto reflect off of at least one point of a plurality of points thatcorrespond to at least part of one or more layers of the subsurface 19.The 3D scanner 212 may then generate a plurality of 3D points based onthe received one or more reflected sound waves.

The 3D scanner 212 may also calculate the number and thickness of thelayers in subsurface 19. For example, the number of layers may becalculated by causing one or more processors 42, 62 to add up the totalnumber of reflected sound waves received that correspond to one or moreseparate layers 284, 286, 288 of the subsurface 19. In another example,one or more processors 42, 62 may calculate a thickness of one or moreof the layers 284, 286, 288 by converting the time between reflectedsound waves that corresponds to one or more separate layers 284, 286,288 of the subsurface 19 into distances traveled by the reflected soundwaves using the speed of the sound waves in the medium. This distancemay correspond to the thickness of one or more layers 284, 286, 288 ofthe subsurface 19.

In one example, to calculate the thickness of the tar layer 286, the 3Dscanner 212 may send the data corresponding to reflected sound waves R5,R6 and R7 to the data analysis system 26. The data analysis system 26may then cause one or more processors 42, 62 to calculate a differencein arrival times T5 and T6, of reflected waves R5 and R6, respectively.This difference may then be converted into a distance traveled by thereflected sound wave to get a thickness of the tar layer 286. Similarly,the thickness of the fiberglass layer 288 may be determined by causingone or more processors 42, 62 to calculate the difference in arrivaltimes T6 and T7 and convert the calculated difference into a distancetraveled by the reflected sound wave.

In another example, the transducer 265 of the 3D scanner 212 maytransmit one or more ultrasonic sound waves and identify a frequencydistribution of at least one received sound wave R5, R6, R7 and afrequency distribution of the at least one transmitted sound wave. Asone of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, the frequencydistribution of a waveform may be identified by causing at least oneprocessor 42, 62 to calculate the frequency distribution based on atleast one recording of the waveform.

The one or more processors 42, 62 may also compare the frequencydistribution of the at least one received sound wave R5, R6, R7 with thefrequency distribution of the at least one transmitted sound wave andestimate a moisture level in one or more layers 284, 286, and 288. Forexample, the one or more processors 42, 62 may calculate a differencebetween the frequency distribution of the at least one received soundwave R5, R6, R7 and the frequency distribution of the at least onetransmitted sound wave to determine if any moisture is present in one ormore layers 284, 286, 288. The determined presence and/or level ofmoisture may then be used to estimate a condition of the structure 16.

More specifically, and in yet another example, a difference between thefrequency distribution of the one or more transmitted sound waves andthe one or more received sound waves R5, R6, R7 may be used to calculatea phase velocity of one or more of the received sound waves R5, R6, R7.This data can indicate the moisture content within the layer. In anotherexample, a difference between the frequency distribution of the one ormore transmitted sound waves and the one or more received sound wavesR5, R6, R7 may be used to calculate an attenuation within the one ormore shingle, tar or fiberglass layers 284, 286, 288 of the subsurface19. Changes in the calculated attenuation may indicate changes inmoisture within one or more of the shingle, tar, or fiberglass layers284, 286, 288

Referring now to FIG. 5C, another cross-section of subsurface 19 and aside view of the 3D scanner 212 along line B-B of FIG. 5A is depicted.In this example, the tar layer 286 includes another plurality of points283 in the subsurface 19 of the structure 16 that includes another pointP8. In certain examples, the plurality of points 283 may correspond to adefected or damaged area in at least one layer 284, 286, 288 of thesubsurface 19, such as the tar layer 286. The defect or damage mayinclude one or more of cracked shingles, damaged fiberglass mesh,moisture accumulation or structural weakness.

As further depicted in FIG. 5C, the 3D scanner 212 may identify, via oneor more processors 62 of the ultrasonic detection device 238, forexample, a time T8 corresponding to the reflected sound wave R8 receivedby the transducer 265. More specifically, the time T8 corresponds to thetime from when the at least one sound wave is transmitted by the one ormore transducers 265 to the at least one point P8 of the plurality ofpoints 283 until the at least one reflected sound wave R8 is received bythe at least one transducer 265. The received sound wave R8 may then beprocessed by the at least one processor 62 in the 3D scanner 212, suchas the processor 42, and sent to the data analysis system 26 (FIG. 2),which may then identify, via one or more processors 52, at least onereflected sound wave R8 that corresponds to at least one defected ordamaged area in at least one layer 284, 286, 288 of the subsurface 19.

In one example operation, the plurality of points 283 may correspond toa section of moisture in the tar layer 286. As the 3D scanner 212 passesover the section of moisture, the ultrasonic sound wave R8 may reflectoff of a point P8 in the section of moisture and arrive back at the oneor more transducers 265. The depth of the section of moisture may bedetermined by converting the time it took for the pulse to return into adistance. The particular layer that contains the plurality of points mayalso be identified. For example, if the 3D scanner 212 has alreadydetermined the thickness and number of layers in the area surrounding anidentified defect or damaged area, the 3D scanner 212 may determinewhich layer contains the defect or damaged area by comparing the depthof the area with the known depth and thickness of the layers.

Referring now to FIG. 6A, a 3D scanner 312 having a radar sensing device336 coupled thereto is depicted above a top surface 17 of the structure16 (FIG. 1). The 3D scanner 312 includes a base 314, an antenna 313, asensing system 318, the radar sensing device 336, at least onetransmitter 377 and at least one receiver 379. As one of ordinary skillin the art will appreciate, the transmitter 377 and the receiver 379 maybe configured to work with either electromagnetic energy pulses orultrasonic sound waves and not depart from the scope of the presentdisclosure.

Referring now to FIG. 6B, a cross-section of subsurface 19 and a sideview of the 3D scanner 312 along line C-C of FIG. 6A is depicted. Thesubsurface 19 includes a shingle layer 384, a tar layer 386, and afiberglass layer 388, as well as other lower layers. Also depicted is afirst plurality of points 385 disposed below the surface 17 of thestructure or within the subsurface 19 of the structure 16. The firstplurality of points 385 includes at least one point P9 and correspondsto a region between the shingle layer 384 and the tar layer 386. Thesubsurface 19 further includes a second plurality of points 387, whichincludes at least one point P10 and corresponds to a region between thetar layer 386 and the fiberglass layer 388. The surface 19 still furtherincludes a third plurality of points 389, which includes at least onepoint P11 and corresponds to a region between the fiberglass layer 388and lower layers.

As further depicted in FIG. 6B, the at least one transmitter 377 and atleast one receiver 379 (FIG. 3B) of the at least one radar sensingdevice 336 is positioned above the surface 17 of the structure 16. Theat least one transmitter 377 then transmits at least one pulse to the atleast one point P9, P10, and/or P11 of one or more of the first, second,and third plurality of points 385, 387, 389 of the subsurface 19 of thestructure 16. The at least one receiver 379 then receives one or morereflected pulses R9, R10, and/or R11 from at least one point P9, P10,and/or P11 of the one or more of the first, second, and/or thirdplurality of points 385, 387, 389 of the subsurface 19 of the structure16.

As further depicted in FIG. 6B, the 3D scanner 312 may identify, via oneor more processors 72 of the radar sensing device 336, for example, atime T9, T10, and/or T11 corresponding to at least one of the reflectedpulses R9, R10 and/or R11 received by the at least one receiver 379.More specifically, the times T9, T10, and T11 correspond to times fromwhen the at least one pulse is transmitted by the one or moretransmitters 377 to the at least one point P9, P10, P11 of the pluralityof points 385, 387, 389 until the at least one reflected pulse R9, R10,R11 is received by the at least one receiver 379. The received pulsesR9, R10, R11 may then be processed by the at least one processor 62 inthe 3D scanner 312, such as the processor 42, and sent to the dataanalysis system 26 (FIG. 2). The data analysis system 26 may thenidentify, via one or more processors 52, at least one reflected pulsesR9, R10 and/or R11 that correspond to at least one layer 384, 386, 388of the subsurface 19.

For example, the reflected pulse R9 may correspond to a bottom ofshingle layer 384 and the reflected pulses R10 and R11 may correspond toa bottom of the tar layer 386 and fiberglass layer 388, respectively. Asone of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, several reflectedpulses are possible from the same transmitted pulse, depending on thefrequency of the pulse and the characteristics of the layers of thesubsurface 19. Also, reflected pulses used by the 3D scanner 312 maycome from either the same transmitted pulse or separate transmittedpulses. These separate pulses may be calibrated to go deeper into thesubsurface 19, for example, by adjusting the frequency to allow thepulse to travel deeper into the subsurface 19 and into layers lower thanthe fiberglass layer 388.

In one example, when effecting a scan, the transmitter 377 of the 3Dscanner 312 may transmit one or more pulses and measure the time ittakes for at least a portion of the transmitted pulse to reflect off ofat least one point of a plurality of points that correspond to at leastpart of one or more layers of the subsurface 19. The 3D scanner 312 maythen generate a plurality of 3D points based on the received one or morereflected pulses.

The 3D scanner 312 may also calculate the number and thickness of thelayers in subsurface 19. In one example, the number of layers may becalculated by causing one or more processors 42, 72 to add up the totalnumber of reflected pulses received that correspond to one or moreseparate layers 384, 386, 388 of the subsurface 19. In another example,one or more processors 42, 72 may calculate a thickness of one or moreof the layers 384, 386, 388 by converting the time between reflectedpulses that corresponds to one or more separate layers 384, 386, 388 ofthe subsurface 19 into distances traveled by the reflected pulses usingthe speed of the sound waves in the medium. This distance may correspondto the thickness of one or more layers 384, 386, 388 of the subsurface19.

More specifically, to calculate the thickness of the tar layer 386, the3D scanner 312 may send the data corresponding to reflected pulses R9,R10 and R11 to the data analysis system 26. The data analysis system 26may then cause one or more processors 42, 72 to calculate a differencein arrival times T9 and T10 of reflected pulses R9 and R10,respectively. This difference may then be converted into a distancetraveled by the reflected pulse to get a thickness of the tar layer 386.Similarly, the thickness of the fiberglass layer 388 may be determinedby causing one or more processors 42, 72 to calculate the difference inarrival times T10 and T11 and convert the calculated difference into adistance traveled by the reflected pulse.

Referring now to FIG. 6C, another cross-section of subsurface 19 and aside view of the 3D scanner 312 along line C-C of FIG. 6A is depicted.In this example, the tar layer 386 includes another plurality of points383 that includes another point P12. In certain examples, the pluralityof points 383 may correspond to a defected or damaged area in at leastone layer 384, 386, 388 of the subsurface 19, such as the tar layer 386.The damage or defect may include one or more of cracked shingles,damaged fiberglass mesh, moisture accumulation or structural weakness.

As further depicted in FIG. 6C, the 3D scanner 312 may identify, via oneor more processors 72 of the radar sensing device 336, for example, atime T12 corresponding to the reflected pulse R12 received by the atleast one receiver 379. More specifically, the time T12 corresponds tothe time from when the at least one pulse is transmitted by the one ormore transmitters 377 to the at least one point P12 of the plurality ofpoints 383 until the at least one reflected pulse R12 is received by theat least one receiver 379. The received pulse R12 may then be processedby the at least one processor 72 in the 3D scanner 312, such as theprocessor 42, and sent to the data analysis system 26 (FIG. 2). The dataanalysis system 26 may then identify, via one or more processors 52, atleast one reflected pulse R12 that corresponds to at least one defectedor damaged area in at least one layer 384, 386, 388 of the subsurface19.

In one example operation, the plurality of points 383 may correspond toa section of moisture in the tar layer 386. As the 3D scanner 312 passesover the section of moisture, the radar pulse R12 may reflect off of apoint P12 in the section of moisture and arrive back at the one or morereceivers 379. The depth of the section of moisture may be determined byconverting the time it took for the pulse to return into a distance. Theparticular layer that contains the plurality of points may also beidentified. For example, if the 3D scanner 312 has already determinedthe thickness and number of layers in the area surrounding an identifieddefect or damaged area, the 3D scanner 312 may determine which layercontains the defect or damaged area by comparing the depth of the areawith the known depth and thickness of the layers.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a flowchart of an example method 700 forinspecting the condition of the subsurface of a structure using a radarsensing device is depicted. The method 700 may be implemented, in wholeor in part, on one or more devices or systems such as those shown in theproperty inspection system 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2, the radar sensing device36 of FIG. 3B, or the 3D scanner 312 and radar sensing device 336 ofFIG. 6A. The method may be saved as a set of instructions, routines,programs, or modules on memory such as memory 44 of FIG. 2, and may beexecuted by a processor such as processor 42 of FIG. 2.

The method 700 begins when a 3D scanner 12, 312 is deployed toward astructure, such as the structure 16 shown in FIG. 1. After deployment,the 3D scanner 12, 312 detects 3D information about the subsurface byimplementing the radar sensing device 36, 336 of the 3D scanner 12, 312above the surface 17 of the structure 16 (block 710). Said another way,the 3D scanner 12, 312 detects a point of the plurality of points 383,385, 387, 389 (FIGS. 6B and 6C), for example, in the subsurface 19 (FIG.6A) of the structure 16 by having the radar sensing device 36, 336 scanthe subsurface 19 from above the surface 17 of the structure 16. Asnoted, the structure 16 may be any kind of building or structure, suchas a single-family home, townhome, condominium, apartment, storefront,or retail space, and the structure 16 may be owned, leased, possessed,or occupied by an insurance policy holder. The structure 16 may also beany of the structure types discussed regarding FIG. 1, such as avehicle, boat, or aircraft. In such structures, the 3D contact scanner12, 312 may be used to inspect the body panels, windows, frame and othersurfaces associated with the vehicle, boat, or aircraft.

In block 715, the transmitter 77, 377 of the radar sensing device 36,336 transmits at least one radar pulse towards the surface 17 of thestructure 16. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, theradar pulses may consist of either electromagnetic energy pulses orsound waves and not depart from the scope of the present disclosure. Inblock 720, the receiver 79, 379 of the radar sensing device 36, 336receives at least one radar pulse after reflecting off of at least onepoint P9, P10, P11, P12 of a plurality of points 383, 385, 387, 389 inthe subsurface 19. In block 725, the 3D scanner 12, 312 may thendetermine the distance from the radar sensing device 36, 336 to the oneor more plurality of points 383, 385, 387, 389 that the at least oneradar pulse reflected off. This may be done by converting the time fromtransmitting the radar pulse to receiving the reflected radar pulse intoa distance traveled. In block 760, the 3D scanner 12, 312 then generatesa plurality of 3D data points based on the measured depth of a pluralityof points.

In addition or alternatively, after block 720, the reflected radarpulses are identified that correspond to at least one layer of thestructure are identified at block 730. In block 735, the number oflayers in the subsurface 19 can be calculated by adding up the number ofreflected radar pulses that correspond to individual layers of thesubsurface 19. The calculated number of layers may then be used in block760 to generate a plurality of 3D data points. In addition oralternatively, after block 730, the thickness of at least one layer maybe calculated by converting a time between at least two separatereflected radar pulses corresponding to at least two separate layers ofthe subsurface 19 into distances traveled by the radar pulses. Thecalculated thickness of at least one layer may then be used in block 760to generate a plurality of 3D data points.

At block 765, at least one processor, such as the processor 42 of the 3Dscanner 12, 312 determines whether enough points of the plurality ofpoints 383, 385, 387, 389 of the subsurface 19 of the structure 16 havebeen detected or whether more points need to be detected. If enoughpoints have been detected, a processor 42 of the 3D scanner 12, 312constructs a 3D model from the generated plurality of 3D data points(block 770). Next the processor 42 of the 3D scanner 12, 312 may causethe 3D model to be stored at the memory 54 of the data analysis system26 of the property inspection system 10 (block 775). At block 780, theprocessor 42, for example, communicatively connected to a memory 44 ofthe 3D scanner 12, 213 or the memory 54 of the data analysis system 26generates an estimate or an estimation of the condition of thesubsurface 19 of the structure 16 based on the plurality of 3D datapoints.

If, however, at block 765, it is determined that more points need to bedetected, the 3D scanner 12, 312 detects more 3D information byimplementing the radar sensing device 36, 336 of the 3D scanner 12, 312again above the surface 17 of the structure 16 (block 710). Then onceagain, the 3D scanner 12, 312 with the radar sensing device 36, 336transmits at least one radar pulse toward the surface 17 of thestructure 16 (block 715). The process of blocks 715, 720, 725, 730, 735,740 and/or 760 will continue until it is determined at block 765 thatenough points have been detected. The process of blocks 770, 775, and780, as described above, then continue to ultimately construct a 3Dmodel from the generated plurality of 3D data points, store that modelat the memory 54 of the data analysis system 26, for example, andgenerate an estimate of the condition of the subsurface 19 of thestructure 16 based on the plurality of 3D data points, respectively.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a flowchart of an example method 800 forinspecting the condition of the subsurface of a structure using anultrasound detection device is depicted. The method 800 may beimplemented, in whole or in part, on one or more devices or systems suchas those shown in the property inspection system 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2,the ultrasonic detection device 38 of FIG. 3A, or the 3D scanner 112,212 and ultrasonic detection device 138, 238 of FIGS. 4A and 5A. Themethod may be saved as a set of instructions, routines, programs, ormodules on memory such as memory 44 of FIG. 2, and may be executed by aprocessor such as processor 42 of FIG. 2.

The method 800 begins when a 3D scanner 12, 112, 212 is deployed towarda structure, such as the structure 16 shown in FIG. 1. After deployment,the 3D scanner 12, 112, 212 detects 3D information about the subsurfaceby implementing an ultrasonic detection device 38, 138, 238 of the 3Dscanner 12, 112, 212 above the surface 17 of the structure 16 (block810). Said another way, the 3D scanner 12, 112, 212 detects a point ofthe plurality of points 183, 185, 187, 189, 283, 285, 287, 289 (FIGS. 1and 2), for example, in the subsurface 19 (FIGS. 4A and 5A) of thestructure 16 by having the ultrasonic detection device 38, 138, 238 scanthe subsurface 19 from above the surface 17 of the structure 16.

In block 815, the transducer 65, 165, 265 of the ultrasound detectiondevice 38, 138, 238 transmits at least one pulse, e.g., such as a soundwave, towards the surface 17 of the structure 16. In block 820, thetransducer 65, 165, 265 of the ultrasonic sensing device 38, 138, 238receives at least one sound wave after reflecting off of at least onepoint P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, P8 of a plurality of points 183, 185,187, 189, 283, 285, 287, 289 in the subsurface 19. In block 825, the 3Dscanner 12, 112, 212 may then determine the distance from the ultrasonicsensing device 38, 138, 238 to the plurality of points that the at leastone sound wave reflected off. This may be done by converting the timefrom transmitting the radar pulse to receiving the reflected sound waveinto a distance traveled. In block 860, the 3D scanner 12, 112, 212 thengenerates a plurality of 3D data points based on the measured depth of aplurality of points.

In addition or alternatively, after block 820, the reflected sound wavesthat correspond to at least one layer of the structure 16 may beidentified at block 830. In block 835, the number of layers in thesubsurface 19 can be calculated by adding up the number of reflectedsound waves that correspond to individual layers of the subsurface 19.The calculated number of layers may then be used in block 860 togenerate a plurality of 3D data points. In addition or alternatively,after block 830, the thickness of at least one layer may be calculatedby converting a time between at least two separate reflected sound wavescorresponding to at least two separate layers of the subsurface 19 intodistances traveled by the sound waves. The calculated thickness of atleast one layer may then be used in block 860 to generate a plurality of3D data points.

At block 865, at least one processor, such as the processor 42 of the 3Dscanner 12, 112, 212 determines whether enough points of the pluralityof points 183, 185, 187, 189, 283, 285, 287, 289 of the subsurface 19 ofthe structure 16 have been detected or whether more points need to bedetected. If enough points have been detected, a processor 42 of the 3Dscanner 12, 112, 212 constructs a 3D model from the generated pluralityof 3D data points (block 870). Next the processor 42 of the 3D scanner12, 112, 212 may cause the 3D model to be stored at the memory 54 of thedata analysis system 26 of the property inspection system 10 (block875). At block 880, the processor 42, for example, communicativelyconnected to a memory 44 of the 3D scanner 12, 112, 212 or the memory 54of the data analysis system 26 generates an estimate or an estimation ofthe condition of the subsurface 19 of the structure 16 based on theplurality of 3D data points.

If, however, at block 865, it is determined that more points need to bedetected, the 3D scanner 12, 112, 212 detects more 3D information byimplementing the ultrasound detection device 38, 138, 238 of the 3Dscanner 12, 112, 212 again above the surface 17 of the structure 16(block 810). Then once again, the 3D scanner 12, 112, 212 with theultrasound detection device 38, 138, 238 transmits at least one soundwave toward the surface 17 of the structure 16 (block 815). The processof blocks 815, 820, 825, 830, 835, 840 and/or 860 will continue until itis determined at block 865 that enough points have been detected. Theprocess of blocks 870, 875, and 880, as described above, then continueto ultimately construct a 3D model from the generated plurality of 3Ddata points, store that model at the memory 54 of the data analysissystem 26, for example, and generate an estimate of the condition of thesubsurface 19 of the structure 16 based on the plurality of 3D datapoints, respectively.

While the layers of the subsurface 19 depicted in FIGS. 4B, 4C, 5B, 5C,6B and 6C include a shingle layer 184, 284, 384, a tar layer 186, 286,386, and a fiberglass layer 188, 288, 388, one of ordinary skill in theart will understand that one or more of the shingle layer 184, 284, 384,the tar layer 186, 286, 386, and the fiberglass layer 188, 288, 388 mayinclude one or more various materials, including, but not limited to,plastics, composites, ceramic, and/or metal. In addition, oralternatively, the subsurface 19 of the structure 16 may include otherlayers between, above and/or further beneath one or more of the shinglelayer 184, 284, 384, the tar layer 186, 286, 386, and the fiberglasslayer 188, 288, 388, such as a layer or an area having one or more ofplastics, composites, ceramic or metal, for example, and still fallwithin the scope of the present disclosure. Further, while the shinglelayer 184, 284, 384 may include a typical asphalt shingle layer and itswell-known materials and properties, one of ordinary skill in the artwill further understand that a roof may include one or more of plastic,ceramic or metal shingles or surfaces and still fall within the scope ofthe present disclosure.

Overall, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the variousadvantages of the property inspection system 10 of the presentdisclosure. For example, the property inspection system 10 of thepresent disclosure is able to accurately detect 3D information about thesubsurface of a structure using one or more of the ultrasonic detectiondevice 38, 138, 238 or the radar sensing device 36, 336. By using radarpulses of the radar sensing device 36, 336, for example, to detect 3Dinformation about the subsurface of the structure, any interferingsunlight or lack thereof does not affect the accuracy of the informationbeing detected, and significantly greater detail about subsurface layersis accurately detected. In addition, while the ultrasonic detectiondevices 38, 138 may apply a substrate to a surface of the structurebefore and/or during a scan, such devices 12, 112 further remove excesssubstrate from the surface of the structure during or after a scan iscomplete via the suction device 184. In another example, a substrate isnot directly applied to the surface 17 of the structure 16; instead, asubstrate layer 292 is disposed within the continuous track systemcoupled 290 to the 3D scanner 212, such that the substrate layer 292surrounds at least part of the ultrasonic detection device 238. As aresult, removal of any substrate sprayed onto the surface 17 of thestructure 16 is not required in this example. For at least thesereasons, the process and system 10 of the present disclosure using theultrasonic detection devices 38, 138, 238 includes significantly less,if any, substrate removal after the 3D scanner 12, 112, 212, 312completes a scan, reducing the mess, time and cost associated with the3D scanning process.

Still further, and unlike other 2D and 3D scanning methods, both theultrasonic detection devices 38, 138, 238 and the radar sensing device36, 336 of the property inspection systems and methods of the presentdisclosure are able to detect damage and defects to subsurface layers ofthe structure not apparent on the top surface of the structure. Forexample, 3D scanning methods using tactile sensors are unable to detectdamage to the subsurface of the structure when the surface of thestructure appears free of any defect. The systems and methods of thepresent disclosure, however, are able to detect specific points ofdamage at and/or with several layers of the subsurface of the structurebelow the surface of the structure, providing significantly moreaccurate detail and information about a condition of the structure. As aresult, the accuracy of damage estimates is greatly improved.

The following additional considerations apply to the foregoingdiscussion. Throughout this specification, plural instances mayimplement components, operations, or structures described as a singleinstance. Although individual operations of one or more methods areillustrated and described as separate operations, one or more of theindividual operations may be performed concurrently, and nothingrequires that the operations be performed in the order illustrated.Structures and functionality presented as separate components in exampleconfigurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component.Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a single componentmay be implemented as separate components. These and other variations,modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of thesubject matter herein.

Discussions herein referring to an “appraiser,” “inspector,” “adjuster,”“claim representative” or the like are non-limiting. One skilled in theart will appreciate that any user associated with an insurance companyor an insurance function may utilize one or more of the devices,systems, and methods disclosed in the foregoing description. One skilledin the art will further realize that any reference to a specific jobtitle or role does not limit the disclosed devices, systems, or methods,or the type of user of said devices, systems, or methods.

Certain implementations are described herein as including logic or anumber of components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules may constituteeither software modules (e.g., code implemented on a tangible,non-transitory machine-readable medium such as RAM, ROM, flash memory ofa computer, hard disk drive, optical disk drive, tape drive, etc.) orhardware modules (e.g., an integrated circuit, an application-specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable logic array(FPLA)/field-programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.). A hardware module isa tangible unit capable of performing certain operations and may beconfigured or arranged in a certain manner. In example implementations,one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone, client or servercomputer system) or one or more hardware modules of a computer system(e.g., a processor or a group of processors) may be configured bysoftware (e.g., an application or application portion) as a hardwaremodule that operates to perform certain operations as described herein.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, discussions herein using wordssuch as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,”“presenting,” “displaying,” or the like may refer to actions orprocesses of a machine (e.g., a computer) that manipulates or transformsdata represented as physical (e.g., electronic, magnetic, or optical)quantities within one or more memories (e.g., volatile memory,non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof), registers, or othermachine components that receive, store, transmit, or displayinformation.

As used herein any reference to “one implementation,” “one embodiment,”“an implementation,” or “an embodiment” means that a particular element,feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with theimplementation is included in at least one implementation. Theappearances of the phrase “in one implementation” or “in one embodiment”in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referringto the same implementation.

Some implementations may be described using the expression “coupled”along with its derivatives. For example, some implementations may bedescribed using the term “coupled” to indicate that two or more elementsare in direct physical or electrical contact. The term “coupled,”however, may also mean that two or more elements are not in directcontact with each other, but yet still co-operate or interact with eachother. The implementations are not limited in this context.

As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,”“including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, areintended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process,method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is notnecessarily limited to only those elements but may include otherelements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method,article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary,“or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example,a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true(or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or notpresent) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (orpresent).

In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elementsand components of the implementations herein. This is done merely forconvenience and to give a general sense of the invention. Thisdescription should be read to include one or at least one and thesingular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meantotherwise.

Upon reading this disclosure, those of skill in the art will appreciatestill additional alternative structural and functional designs for asystem and a process for inspecting a structure to estimate thecondition of a structure through the disclosed principles herein. Thus,while particular implementations and applications have been illustratedand described, it is to be understood that the disclosed implementationsare not limited to the precise construction and components disclosedherein. Various modifications, changes and variations, which will beapparent to those skilled in the art, may be made in the arrangement,operation and details of the method and apparatus disclosed hereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope defined in the appendedclaims.

We claim:
 1. A method of inspecting a structure, the method comprising:deploying one or more three-dimensional (3D) scanners to scan astructure, wherein the one or more 3D scanners are communicativelycoupled to a memory; detecting 3D information about a subsurface of thestructure by implementing a sensing device including one or more of aradar sensing device or an ultrasonic detection device coupled to theone or more 3D scanners, wherein implementing the sensing deviceincludes: transmitting, via at least one transmitter, pulses to at leastone point of a plurality of points of the subsurface of the structure;receiving, via at least one receiver, one or more reflected signals fromat least one point of a plurality of points of the subsurface of thestructure, the receiving including receiving one or more waves, via atleast one receiver, reflected off of at least part of the subsurface ofthe structure; and determining, via one or more processors, a distancefrom one of the radar sensing device or the ultrasonic detection deviceto at least one point of the plurality of points of the subsurface ofthe structure based on the at least one received reflected signal;generating, at the one or more 3D scanners, a plurality of 3D datapoints, wherein at least one point of the plurality of 3D data pointscorresponds to at least one point of a plurality of points in thesubsurface of the structure detected by the radar sensor device or theultrasonic detection device during the scan of the structure; andcausing a processor communicatively connected to the memory to generatean estimation of the condition of the subsurface of the structure basedon the plurality of 3D data points, generating the plurality of 3Dpoints, at the one or more 3D scanners, based on the received wavesincludes: identifying a frequency distribution of at least one receivedwave reflected off of the surface or subsurface of the structure;comparing the frequency distribution of the at least one received wavewith the frequency distribution of at least one transmitted wave; andestimating a moisture level of at least one layer of the subsurface ofthe structure by calculating, via one or more processors, a differencebetween the frequency distribution of the at least one received wave andthe frequency distribution of the at least one transmitted wave, whereinthe moisture level is used to estimate a condition of the structure. 2.The method of claim 1, further comprising causing a processorcommunicatively coupled to the memory to construct a 3D model from thegenerated plurality of 3D data points and analyze the 3D model toidentify one or more features associated with the structure.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the sensing device comprises the radarsensing device, and deploying one or more 3D scanners includespositioning the radar sensing device coupled to the one or more 3Dscanners at an elevation higher than at least part of a surface of thestructure.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, via the at leastone receiver, one or more reflected signals from at least one point of aplurality of points of the subsurface of the structure includes:receiving one or more waves, via at least one receiver, reflected off ofat least part of the subsurface of the structure.
 5. The method of claim4, wherein generating, at one or more 3D scanners, the plurality of 3Dpoints comprises: identifying a first reflection of the one or morewaves off of at least part of the subsurface or surface of the structureat the radar sensing device or the ultrasonic detection device at afirst time; identifying a second reflection of the one or more waves offof at least part of the subsurface or surface of the structure at one ormore of the radar sensing device or the ultrasonic detection device at asecond time different from the first time; and identifying a thirdreflection of the one or more waves off of at least part of thesubsurface of surface of the structure at one or more of the radarsensing device or the ultrasonic device at a third time different fromthe first and second times.
 6. The method of claim 5, further includingrecording at least the first, second, and third times, via one or moreprocessors, of the first, second, and third reflections of the one ormore waves off of at least one point of a plurality of points of thesubsurface or surface of the structure.
 7. The method of claim 4,further comprising identifying, via one or more processors, at least onereflection that corresponds to at least one layer of the subsurface ofthe structure, the at least one layer including one of a shingle layer,a tar layer, or a fiberglass mesh layer of a roof of the structure. 8.The method of claim 7, further comprising calculating, via one or moreprocessors, a number of layers in the subsurface of the structure byadding up a number of reflections received by the at least one receiverthat corresponds to one or more separate layers of the subsurface. 9.The method of claim 4, further comprising calculating, via one or moreprocessors, a thickness of at least one layer of the subsurface byconverting a time between at least two separate reflections intodistances traveled by the waves, the distance corresponding to at leastone layer of the structure.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting3D information about a subsurface of the structure by implementing theultrasonic detection device coupled to the one or more 3D scannersacross a surface of the structure further includes applying a soundconducting material to the plurality of points on a surface of thestructure; and positioning at least one transducer of at least oneultrasonic detection device onto a portion of the substrate applied tothe surface of the structure, such that the at least one transducerphysically contacts the sound conducting material that is in contactwith the surface of the structure before transmitting pulses to at leastone point of the plurality of points of the subsurface of the structure.11. The method of claim 10, further comprising collecting remainingsound conducting material disposed on the surface of the structure viaone or more of a suction device or vacuum coupled to the 3D scanner. 12.The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, via one or moreprocessors, a first plurality of points within a shingle layer of thesubsurface, a second plurality of points within a tar layer of thesubsurface, and a third plurality of points within a fiberglass layer ofthe subsurface.
 13. A property inspection system for inspecting thecondition of a physical structure, the property inspection systemcomprising: one or more three-dimensional (3D) scanners adapted to scana surface of the structure; a sensing device including one or more of aradar sensing device or an ultrasonic detection device coupled to theone or more 3D scanners, each of the radar sensing device and theultrasonic detection device having at least one transmitter, at leastone receiver, and at least one processor, each sensing device adapted todetect 3D information about a subsurface of the structure by: (1)transmitting, via the at least one transmitter, pulses to at least onepoint of a plurality of points of the subsurface of the structure; (2)receiving, via at least one receiver, one or more reflected pulses fromat least one point of a plurality of points of the subsurface of thestructure; and (3) determining, via at least one processor, a distancefrom one or more of the devices to at least one point of the pluralityof points of the subsurface of the structure based on the at least onereceived reflected pulse; at least one processor adapted to generate 3Ddata points corresponding to the 3D information detected by the radarsensing device or the ultrasonic sensing device; a memory, communicablycoupled to the one or more 3D scanners, adapted to store 3D data pointsgenerated by the one or more processors and the 3D information detectedby the radar sensing device or the ultrasonic sensing device; and anetwork interface, communicably coupled to the one or more processors,adapted to transmit the 3D data points to a data analysis system forestimating the condition of the subsurface of the structure, the sensingdevice is the ultrasonic detection device, and the one or more 3Dscanners include a base and a continuous track system coupled to thebase and disposed between the surface of the structure and theultrasonic detection device, the continuous track system furtherincluding at least one track and a substrate disposed between the atleast one track and the ultrasonic detection device, the substratesurrounding at least a portion of the ultrasonic detection device. 14.The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is furtheradapted to generate a 3D model based, at least in part, on the generated3D data points of the 3D information detected by one or more of theradar sensing device and the ultrasonic detection device, and the memoryis further adapted to store the 3D model.
 15. The system of claim 13,wherein at least one of the one or more 3D scanners is physicallyconnected to a flying device.
 16. The system of claim 13, wherein thesubsurface of the structure comprises a plurality of layers, and the atleast one processor is adapted to identify at least one layer of theplurality of layers of the subsurface of the structure, wherein theplurality of layers includes one or more of a shingle layer, a tar layeror a fiberglass layer.
 17. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensingdevice is the ultrasonic detection device, and the ultrasonic detectiondevice further includes a body having at least one transducer includingthe at least one transmitter and the at least one receiver, and the 3Dscanner includes a base and a spraying mechanism coupled to the base,the spraying mechanism adapted to apply a substrate to a plurality ofpoints on the surface of the structure.
 18. The system of claim 17,further including a suction device that is coupled to the base, thesuction device adapted to collect the substrate from a plurality ofpoints on the surface of the structure after or during the scan.